1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a climate control system for heating and air-conditioning the cabin or compartment of a motor car. More particularly, it relates to a climate control system suitable for being accommodated in a motor vehicle used in cold regions.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 3 illustrates a climate control system for a motor vehicle used in cold regions in the world, according to a prior art.
The climate control system of FIG. 3 is provided with a rotary heat generator 92, for an air-heating purpose, and a refrigerant compressor 93, for an air-conditioning purpose, driven by a vehicle engine, respectively. The refrigerant compressor 93 together with an evaporator 94, a condenser 95, and an expansion valve (not shown in FIG. 3) constitute the air-conditioning system of the climate control system. Namely, the compressor 93 compresses and delivers a compressed refrigerant gas toward the evaporator 94 disposed in a climate control duct 96, via the condenser 95.
The rotary heat generator 92 is provided with a rotatable element (not shown in FIG. 3) immersed in an oil and driven by the vehicle engine 91. The rotating energy of the rotatable element of the rotary heat generator 92 is converted into thermal energy which in turn heats the cooling water W of the engine, and the heated water is used for heating air in a heater core 97 disposed in the climate control duct. A valve 98 is a bypass valve or enabling a part of the cooling water W of the engine 91 to flow from the engine 91 toward the rotary heat generator 92.
In the above-mentioned conventional climate control system for a motor vehicle, it is understood that a drive energy provided by a vehicle engine is converted into thermal energy for heating the air in the cabin of the motor vehicle. Although it takes a rather long time for the temperature of the cooling water W of the engine to be warmed up by the engine 92 after starting of the engine, the climate control system can work as a quick air heater for a motor vehicle to be used for running in the cold regions.
Nevertheless, the conventional climate control system is provided with such an arrangement that the rotary heat generator 92 in addition to the refrigerant compressor 93 must be driven by the vehicle engine 91, via a motion transmitting belt. Therefore, many equipments such as the radiator 99, the refrigerant compressor 93, an electric alternator (not shown in FIG. 3), an engine starter, and the rotary heat generator 92 must be disposed in a front part of an engine compartment, and accordingly, it is often difficult to acquire a space sufficient for collectively installing much equipment in front of the vehicle engine, when the engine compartment is made narrower as is the recent tendency.